1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pager for receiving a radio wave paging signal from a base station and a method of communication between pagers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The pager having only a receiving function is known. Such a prior art pager notifies the user of receiving a message by sounding an alarm sound or providing vibrations to the user when the identification code assigned thereto is included in the radio wave paging signal. The pager analyzes the message signal following to the identification data and displays the content.
This prior art pager includes a memory therein for storing its ID data. This memory also stores data such as data of a telephone number list and predetermined texts prepared by the user. When the pager receives a predetermined data train of numbers as the message signal, it can display one of the predetermined texts or a telephone number corresponding to the predetermined data train. The data such as the data of the telephone number list and the predetermined texts are inputted by operating switches of the pager by the user and stored in the memory.
A system capable of reading the ID data stored in the memory of the pager and capable of simply writing the god ID data in the memory of the pager with a data input/output apparatus is proposed in Japanese patent application provisional publication No. 8-9440.
In this system, writing data in the pager from the data input/output apparatus and reading data in the data input/output apparatus from the pager are provided with an optical communication function.
FIG. 10 is a block diagram of this prior art pager. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the prior art pager. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the prior art data input/output apparatus capable of communicating with the prior art pager shown in FIG. 11 with the optical communication function.
The pager of this system, as shown in FIG. 10, comprises an antenna 101 for receiving a radio wave signal, a radio wave demodulation portion 102 for demodulating the received radio wave signal, a display 106 for displaying the received message on an LCD, and an alarming circuit 107 for notifying the user of the reception by an LED or a buzzer. The pager further comprises a memory 109 for storing a received message, ID data, data of a telephone number list, and predetermined text data prepared by the user, an input circuit 110 including switches for effecting turning on or off the power supply of the pager or a data input operation, an optical communication circuit 108 for receiving data to be stored in the memory 109 from the data input/output apparatus through optical communication or reading data from the memory 109 and transmitting it to the data input/output unit, and a control circuit 103 including an MPU (microprocessing unit) 104 and a control program 105 for controlling operations of respective portions of this pager.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 11, this pager comprises, as an out line structure, switches 123 for turning on and off the power supply of the pager, a data input operation, or the like and a window 124a for optical communication.
On the other hand, the data input/output apparatus, as shown in FIG. 12, comprises a window 124b for the optical communication with the pager and an external connector 130 for exchanging data with an external unit.
In the pager of this system, the radio wave receiving circuit 102 demodulates the reception signal and sends the received message directed thereto to the control circuit 103. On receiving a message, the control circuit 103 controls the display 106 and the alarming circuit 107 to sound a melody, for example, and displays the received message, and stores the message in the memory 109.
When the data stored in the pager is read by the data input/output apparatus by converting data into an optical signal and transmitting the optical signal to the data input and output apparatus and when data is written in the pager from the data input/output apparatus, data from the data input/output apparatus is converted into another optical signal and transmitted to the pager. During transmission, the window 124a for the optical communication of the pager faces the window 124b of the data input output apparatus.
The data stored in the memory 109 of the pager is read in accordance with the control by the control portion 103, and is converted into data of the optical signal by the optical communication circuit 108 and then, is transmitted to the data input/output apparatus through the windows 124a and 124b for the optical communication. The data input/output apparatus converts the inputted optical signal into data of an electric signal and outputs it through the external connector 130.
On the other hand, the data from the data input/output apparatus is converted into another optical signal and transmitted to the pager through the windows 124a and 124b. The optical communication circuit 108 of the pager converts the optical signal into data of an electric signal and the control circuit 103 stores the converted data of the electric signal in the memory 109.
As mentioned, in this system, it is possible to simply write the data in and simply read the data from the pager using the data input/output apparatus specially provided.
The aim of the present invention is to provide an improved pager and a method of communication between pagers.
According to the present invention, a pager is provided, which comprises: a radio wave receiving circuit for receiving a radio wave paging signal including message data and address data; a memory; a microprocessor having a ROM including a message storing program for receiving the message data from the received radio wave paging signal and storing the received message data in the memory when the address data indicates the pager; and a data generation program responsive to an operation for generating data and storing the generated data in the memory; and an optical communication circuit for converting transmission data into a first optical signal and directly transmitting the first optical signal to another pager and for directly receiving a second optical signal including second data from the other pager and converting the second optical signal into received data, the ROM further including: a transmission control program for reading either of the message data or the generated data from the memory in accordance with a data selection command as the transmission data and transmitting the transmission data through the optical communication circuit in response to a transmission command and a receiving control program for storing the received data in the memory in response to a receiving command.
The ROM may further include a timing control program for controlling the transmission control program to control a timing of transmitting the transmission data.
The ROM may further include an identification code generation program for generating a first identification code in accordance with the data selection command; a data attaching program for attaching the identification code to the transmission data, the transmitting program transmitting the transmission data and the identification code, wherein the received data includes a second identification code; and a detection program for detecting the second identification code from the received data, the receiving control program storing the received data in the memory at one of storing areas in accordance with the detected second identification code.
The pager may further comprise a light intensity changing circuit for changing an intensity of the first optical signal to a high level in accordance with an intensity changing command signal.
The ROM may further include: a communication judging program for judging whether it is possible to communicate with another pager from the received data; and an informing a user of program for informing the judging result from the judging program.
In this case, the optical communication circuit may generate a test signal in response to a test signal command.
The transmitting program operates the optical communication circuit to increase the intensity of light when the transmitting program does not receive the transmission command within a predetermined interval measured by a timer.
According to the present invention, a first method of communication between pagers is provided, which comprises the steps of: receiving a radio wave paging signal including message data and address data; providing a memory; receiving the message data from the received radio wave paging signal and storing the received message data in the memory when the address data indicates the pager; generating data and storing the generated data in the memory in response to an operation; converting input data into a first optical signal and directly transmitting the first optical signal to another pager; directly receiving a second optical signal including second data from the other pager; converting the second optical signal into received data; reading either of the message data or the generated data from the memory in accordance with a data selection command indicative of either of the message data or the generated data as transmission data; transmitting the transmission data as the first optical signal in response to a transmission command; and storing the received data in the memory in response to a receiving command.
The first method may further comprise the step of: controlling a timing of transmitting the transmission data.
The first method may further comprise the steps of: generating a first identification code in accordance with the data selection command; attaching the first identification code to the transmission data; transmitting the transmission data and the first identification code, wherein the received data includes a second identification code; and the second identification code from the received data is detected; the received data is stored in the memory at one of storing areas in accordance with the detected second identification code.
The first method may further comprise the step of: changing an intensity of the first optical signal in accordance with an intensity changing command signal.
The first method may further comprise,the steps of: judging whether it is possible to communicate with another pager from the received data; and informing a user of the judging result.
According to the present invention, a second method of communication between pagers is provided, which comprise the steps of: generating transmission data in response to an operation; storing the transmission data; converting the transmission data into a first optical signal and directly transmitting the first optical signal to another of the pagers in response to a command; directly receiving a second optical signal including second data from the another pager; and storing the second data.